Blake Snell officially joined his third National League West squad when he was presented as the Dodgers’ newest member on Tuesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
It also prompted MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa to investigate further situations with a free agent joining a division foe.
Walker Buehler, a starting pitcher and World Series hero, is among these athletes.
Because of Snell’s signing and the expected return of injured starters Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May, Buehler’s future in blue may be jeopardized. It could also be good news for the San Diego Padres, “who couldn’t quite catch the Dodgers in the NL West last season despite a late surge.”
“Inserting Buehler, who proved to be very good for the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and World Series after returning from injury, into a rotation with Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Michael King could make an already strong San Diego club even more of a threat to win its first division title since 2006,” he wrote.
Although Dodgers supporters may be disappointed if Buehler signs with the Padres, he deserves a new contract and is a free agent for the first time in his career.
After missing the whole 2023 season recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, Buehler returned to the mound in 2024, earning a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts and 75.1 innings for the Dodgers. While his regular-season numbers were below his typical level, he proved his worth when it counted the most: during the postseason.
Buehler had some of his most memorable outings in this year’s World Series against the Yankees. In Game 3, he pitched five scoreless innings, leading the Dodgers to a 4-2 win. He followed that with a clutch save in Game 5, shutting down the ninth inning without allowing a single run and securing the victory for Los Angeles.
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